"The Phuket Vegetarian Festival is an annual event held during the ninth lunar month of the Chinese calendar. It is believed that the vegetarian festival and its accompanying sacred rituals bestow good fortune upon those who religiously observe this rite. During this time, local residents of Chinese ancestry strictly observe a 10-day vegetarian or vegan diet for the purposes of spiritual cleansing and merit-making. Sacred rituals are performed at various Chinese shrines and temples and aesthetic displays such as walking barefooted over hot coals and ascending ladders with bladed rungs are performed by entranced devotees known as "Ma Song".
Ma Song, or entranced horses, are devotees whom the gods enter during the fest. They manifest supernatural powers and perform self-tortures in order to shift evil from individuals onto themselves, and to bring the community good luck.
10 RULES FOR THE VEGETARIAN FESTIVAL
1. Cleanliness of bodies during the festival
2. Clean kitchen utensils and to use them seperately from other who do not join the festival
3. Wear white during the festival
4. Behave physically and mentally
5. No meat eating
6. No sex
7. No alcoholic drinks
8. People at mourning period should not attend the festival
9. Pragnant ladies should not watch any ritual 10. Ladies with period cant attend
Yesterday I got to see the "chosen ones" possessed and to be honest i was quite Freaked out and Creeped out. It was like they were in some kind of trance, their head shaking, eyes rolled back, taking large steps and also making sounds like a horse.
People were down on thier knees worshiping them. Over 1000 people watching all in white. It was deffiniatly something to witness.
I will be posting pictures of other days too where the possesed walk on fire and also peirce their bodies with sharp objects like swords through their mouths, etc..
No comments:
Post a Comment